Bengaluru: Pre-monsoon showers throw traffic out of gear

Bengaluru, Mar 4: Heavy rains lashed Bengaluru on Tuesday causing water logging in various parts of the city and throwing the traffic out of gear.

BBMP chief engineer H.C. Ananthaswamy said water logging may have been caused as some work is under progress. “Once completed, there will be no flooding in the area,” he added. Water gushed into several households in Srinivas Nagar on Mission Road.

Tuesday's showers began at around 5am and continued till 8.30am, leaving many areas in north, west and south Bengaluru waterlogged. Met officials said the city received 22mm of rain on Tuesday, the highest for March since 2006. That year, the recorded rainfall was 54.1mm.

SM Metri, director, Meteorological Centre, Bengaluru, said similar isolated showers are expected for two more days. "These are pre-monsoon showers. Pressure variations arising due to two weather systems that developed in Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean close to Sri Lanka are resulting in rains," he added.

Day of traffic woes

Even after the rain, the problem was not over for Bengalureans. The morning rush resulted in traffic snarls along many waterlogged arterial roads. On Cunningham Road, a truck got stuck in the slush, leaving commuters stranded for three hours. Traffic jams were reported across the city till afternoon even as potholes tormented vehicle users. Underpasses at Mehkri Circle, Cauvery Junction and Shivananda Circle were flooded. An ambulance carrying a patient had to wait for over an hour to cross the Cauvery Junction stretch.

Sewage water from overflowing drains entered apartments and other places in areas like Bellandur. Peenya, Yeshwantpur, Basaveshwarnagar, Nagarbhavi, Shivajinagar, Indiranagar were severely affected. Revamping of a bridge in Shivajinagar was hit as gushing waters swept away all the construction material. Water logging was reported in Sunkadakatte and Okalipuram too.

As many as eight trees were uprooted in areas near Manipal Towers, off MG Road, Vijayanagar, RPC Layout, Shankar Mutt, Srinagar and Sarakki Gate.